Author's Note: REEEEEEEEAAAAALLLLLY short chapter. I blame homework, school, writer's block and spastic diarrhea.

Dawn seemed to come too soon and within moments the wizard gave them their supplies and set them off.

"Anything I haven't told you can be explained by Aspen!" the wizard called as he waved goodbye.

"Yeah right," said the demon as they walked away from the house.

"So, demon," Lion sneered, "show us the way."

Immediately Aspen spun around at Lion and tackled him, pinning the bandit to the ground. "Only you would be ignorant enough to taunt a demon!" she snarled.

Lion still had that devilish look on his face. "You won't kill me," he teased.

Aspen raised a metal claw above his head to kill him when Ral stopped them.

"Knock it off you two!" yelled the magician, raising his new staff threateningly.

The demon looked at him and showed her fangs in a hissing snarl before jumping off Lion.

"Knew you wouldn't kill me," said the bandit as he dusted himself off.

"Ha, like I'd want to kill something as worthless as you," hissed Aspen as she stalked away.

"We just started traveling and you two are already fighting!" Tegu exclaimed.

"He started it," said Aspen.

"It doesn't matter!" cried Tegu. "What matters is that we reach our destination."

"You sound like the wizard," snorted Lion.

"Isn't he infuriating?!" yelled Aspen.

"Yes, but we need to go!" cried Sam above the fighting.

"I'm with Sam," said Kale.

Aspen turned around and stalked away from everybody.

"Now our guide leaves us?!" cried Lion.

"I never agreed to be your guide," snapped the demon.

"So you're leaving?" asked Ral.

"No," Aspen said angrily. "But if you wait and see…" The demon effortlessly bounded up a tree and scanned the area once she reached the top with her piercing violet eyes.

"Dead ahead," said Aspen as she came thundering down the tree. "But you don't have to be me to know that."

The party followed her gaze and froze. In the distance was the sickly form of a demon heading towards them.